Presbyterian  Missionaries 
at  Work  Among  the 
Lepers  of  the  World 

BY 

W.  M.  DANNER 


Presbyterian  Missionaries  at 
Work  Among  the  Lepers 
of  the  World 


BY 

W.  M.  DANNER 


CULION  LEPER  COLONY— PHILIPPINE  ISLANDS 


PRESBYTERIAN  MISSIONARIES  AT  WORK 
AMONG  THE  LEPERS  OF  THE  WORLD 

W.  M.  DANNER,  Secretary  U.  S.  A.  Committee 

The  Mission  To  Lepers,  Cambridge,  Mass. 

Before  the  organization  of  the  Mission  to  Lepers,  the 
needs  and  sorrows  of  these  sufferers,  the  lepers,  had  indeed 
appealed  to  a  few  humane  hearts,  and  a  limited  number  of 
local  attempts  had  been  made  to  relieve  them. 

At  Sabathu,  twenty  miles  from  Simla  and  at  a  height  of 
nearly  five  thousand  feet  above  the  sea  level,  is  an  Asylum 
for  Lepers,  which  may  be  said  to  date  from  1868.  This 
Asylum  is  well  known  all  over  India,  and  must  ever  be  asso¬ 
ciated  with  the  name  of  Dr.  John  Newton,  of  the  American 
Presbyterian  Mission.  When  Dr.  Newton  reached  India 
in  1868,  he  found  a  few  lepers  in  a  very  poor  house,  and  to 
these  his  instincts  as  a  medical  missionary  permitted  him  to 
give  special  attention.  In  one  of  his  letters,  written  at  this 
time,  Dr.  Newton  says,  “There  is  no  class  of  the  people  in 
India  who  have  so  moved  my  pity  as  the  lepers  in  these 
hills.  They  are  very  numerous  in  this  region.  I  think  I 
might  say  that  at  least  one-half  of  the  families  in  the  vil¬ 
lages  have  one  or  more  members  infected  with  this  dreadful 
disease.” 

The  appeal  of  Dr.  Newton  met  with  a  generous  response. 
His  and  other  individual  efforts  illustrated  the  value  of  help¬ 
ing  the  unfortunate  leper  people,  the  horrors  of  whose 
homeless,  diseased,  and  destitute  condition  imagination  it¬ 
self  could  scarcely  exaggerate.  That  it  was  high  time  for 
the  cry  of  these  neglected  ones  to  reach  the  ear  of  the 
Church,  no  one  can  question. 

It  is  of  interest  to  Christians  everywhere,  and  especially 
to  members  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  to  know  that  it  fell 
to  the  lot  of  Mr.  Wellesley  C.  Bailey,  a  representative  of 

3 


the  American  Presbyterian  Mission,  together  with  his  good 
wife  as  constant  counsellor  and  colleague,  to  plead  the 
cause  of  the  lepers,  not  only  in  the  United  Kingdom,  but  in 
various  parts  of  the  world  on  the  many  missionary  journeys 
they  have  taken  together. 

It  was  at  Ambala,  in  the  Punjab,  in  1869  that  Dr.  J.  H. 
Morrison,  another  well  known  Presbyterian  missionary,  in¬ 
troduced  Mr.  Bailey  to  the  conditions  confronting  the  lepers, 
and  from  his  first  introduction,  he  was  fascinated  with  the 
opportunity  to  go  among  these  sufferers  and  give  them  the 
consolation  of  the  Gospel. 

Mr.  Bailey  was  then  a  young  man,  and  had  just  joined 
the  American  Presbyterian  Mission.  Dr.  Morrison  wit¬ 
nessed  his  special  interest  and  attraction  for  the  work,  and 
delegated  him  to  take  special  charge  at  Ambala.  Realizing 
how  much  the  lepers  were  aided  in  spirit,  mind  and  body, 
as  well  as  appreciating  the  relief  to  the  public  generally  by 
removing  from  their  sight  such  pitiable  objects,  he  was  fur¬ 
ther  impressed  with  the  value  of  segregation  as  a  means  of 
checking  the  spread  of  the  disease  from  contagion. 

During  Mr.  Bailey’s  furlough  in  1874  the  Mission  to 
lepers  was  founded.  His  description  of  the  pitiful  condi¬ 
tion  of  these  sufferers  as  he  had  seen  them  at  Ambala  and 
elsewhere  stirred  the  sympathy  of  those  to  whom,  in  a  quite 
informal  way,  he  had  spoken  of  his  desire  to  help  them  on 
his  return.  The  modest  ambition  of  Mr.  Bailey  and  his 
friends  was  at  first  to  raise  a  small  sum  annually  to  enable 
him  on  his  return  to  India  to  relieve  a  few  sufferers  at  his 
own  Station,  in  addition  to  his  ordinary  work.  Thirty 
pounds  was  considered  a  fair  objective,  but  from  the  very 
outset,  a  general  response  was  made,  and  before  the  end  of 
his  furlough  year,  not  only  thirty  pounds,  but  twenty  times 
thirty  had  been  received. 

In  deciding  how  to  use  to  the  best  advantage  the  funds 
entrusted  to  Mr.  Bailey,  he  consulted  Dr.  Newton,  propos¬ 
ing  that  additional  inmates  be  admitted  to  the  Sabathu 
Asylum.  Immediately  came  the  response,  “If  you  can  help 
me  with  funds,  the  number  of  lepers  in  the  Sabathu  poor- 

4 


house  will  certainly  be  trebled  or  quadrupled  within  the 
first  two  or  three  months  after  it  has  become  known  that  it 
is  possible  to  secure  admission.”  The  reply  to  this  letter 
from  Dr.  Newton  was  to  authorize  the  immediate  reception 
of  these  urgent  cases ;  and  this  was  the  first  definite  result 
of  the  new  Mission  instituted  by  a  representative  of  the 
American  Presbyterian  Mission,  in  co-operation  with  Dr. 
John  Newton,  the  veteran  representative  of  the  same  Mis¬ 
sion. 

It  is  typical  of  the  Christ-like  work,  the  beginning  of 
which  it  represents,  that  the  first  leper  woman  to  be  defi¬ 
nitely  supported  by  the  Mission  should  have  begged  her  way 
for  ninety  miles  from  the  Himalayas  with  her  two  little  chil¬ 
dren.  It  is  also  noteworthy  that  of  the  first  five  patients  to 
be  supported  by  the  Mission,  two  were  untainted  children 
of  lepers.  From  this  it  will  be  noticed  that  at  the  very  be¬ 
ginning  the  work  embraced,  not  only  the  lepers,  but  their 
healthy  offspring. 

This  was  only  the  first  installment  of  much  needed  help 
for  the  Sabathu  Station.  By  1878  ten  more  houses  had  been 
constructed  by  the  Mission.  That  this  work  was  as  much 
needed  as  it  was  appreciated,  we  learn  from  a  letter  of  Dr. 
Newton  in  1878,  in  which  he  tells  of  lepers  coming  from  all 
quarters,  craving  admission  to  the  Asylum. 

The  substantial  help,  both  in  building  and  maintenance, 
which  contributed  so  largely  to  the  success  of  the  Sabathu 
Asylum,  has  been  continued  ever  since.  And  now,  in  1915, 
the  Mission  to  Lepers,  organized  in  1874,  under  the  direct 
leading  of  representatives  of  the  American  Presbyterian 
Church,  has  extended  its  operations  for  lepers  and  their 
untainted  children  until  the  work  includes  ninety  stations 
scattered  throughout  the  earth  in  which  missionaries  of  all 
the  Protestant  churches  are  directly  interested. 

The  work  is  still  under  the  supervision  of  the  founder, 
and  the  interest  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  is  evident  by 
the  number  of  stations  organized  and  supervised  by  the 
representatives  or  missionaries  of  this  branch  of  the  Protest¬ 
ant  Church. 


5 


The  basis  of  operation  of  the  Mission  to  Lepers  is  al¬ 
ways  to  work  through  denominational  missionaries  of  what¬ 
ever  Church.  The  plan  of  work  includes  finding  food, 
clothing  and  shelter  and  Christian  teaching  and  sympathy 
for  the  lepers.  That  there  are  now  thousands  of  baptized 
Christians  in  these  Stations  brings  clear  evidence  of  the 
fact  that  missionaries  are  really  preaching  the  Gospel  to  the 
whole  congregation.  And  not  only  are  the  Orientals  in  large 
numbers  being  encouraged  to  look  with  favor  on  the  “Jesus 
Religion”  that  provides  for  the  leper,  but  people  in  the  home¬ 
land,  who  have  hitherto  doubted  the  utility  of  Foreign 
Missions,  are  coming  to  the  conclusion  that  any  religion 
that  makes  provision  for  suffering  outcast  humanity  must 
be  a  religion  that  is  worth  while. 

Presbyterian  representatives  have  led  in  organizing  and 
directing  the  work  of  the  Mission  to  Lepers  from  its  foun¬ 
dation.  Representatives  of  this  Church  are  justly  delighted 
by  the  reports  of  work  accomplished  in  more  than  a  dozen 
special  Stations.  To  speak  in  detail  of  each  of  these  would 
be  to  duplicate  somewhat  the  story.  We  will,  however,  set 
out  the  work  of  some  well  known  stations  as  samples  of 
what  Presbyterian  missionaries  are  gladly  and  joyously  do¬ 
ing  in  behalf  of  the  lepers. 

INDIA. 

Lepers  were  first  cared  for  at  Allahabad 
NAINl  ASYLUM  by  Presbyterian  missionaries  at  their 

own  expense.  Later,  a  local  charitable 
association  assumed  their  support  and  built  an  asylum  at 
Naini,  two  miles  from  the  city,  across  the  river  Jumna. 
For  fifteen  years  the  Mission  to  Lepers  helped  to  support 
this  work,  and  in  1895  took  it  entirely  in  charge.  The  old, 
dilapidated  mud  huts,  which  harbored  vermin  and  whose 
thatched  roofs  often  concealed  scorpions,  centipedes,  and 
even  cobra  snakes,  were  all  superseded  by  sanitary  buildings 
of  brick  and  iron.  The  Government  also  built  an  Asylum 
next  to  the  Mission  Asylum,  later  giving  it  to  the  Mission, 

6 


and  now  the  two  are  managed  as  one.  The  addition  of  the 
Government  Asylum  makes  segregation  of  the  sexes  possible. 

The  first  new  building  erected  was  the  hospital,  which 
has  three  wards,  with  accommodations  for  twenty.  None 
but  the  most  helpless  are  placed  there.  The  last  building 
to  go  up  in  the  Asylum  was  the  Church,  a  beautiful  struc¬ 
ture,  which  has  great  wire  screens  instead  of  doors  and  win¬ 
dows,  and  here  the  people  come  for  their  daily  services,  and 
for  the  preaching  and  Sunday  School  on  the  Lord’s  Day. 


UNTAINTED  CHILDREN  OF  LEPERS— INDIA 

Both  Hindoo  and  Mohammedan  in  India  regard  leprosy 
as  an  affliction  for  committing  some  unpardonable  sin 
against  a  God,  whose  wrath  will  not  be  appeased.  The 
leper,  therefore,  is  an  enemy  of  God,  and  it  is  dangerous 
to  aid  those  under  the  divine  ban. 

Mr.  Higginbottom  of  Naini  says : 

“As  I  got  to  know  the  leper,  I  found  he  was  altogether 
such  as  I  am.  My  likes  and  dislikes  were  his.  His  loves 
and  hatreds  were  mine.  I  found  the  idle  leper  to  be  a  mis- 

7 


chief-brewing  individual.  My  problem  then  was  to  get 
something  for  him  to  do  and,  after  much  study,  gardening 
was  selected.  This  has  proved  of  inestimable  value  in  giv¬ 
ing  him  occupation  and  something  to  show  for  what  he 
does.” 

Let  Mr.  Higginbottom  tell  in  his  own  language  of  the  fun 
of  gardening  and  money  spending: 

“I  take  good  care  that  the  little  plot  of  ground  is  well 
watered,  and  always  have  seed  to  give  out.  I  have  tried  to 
give  to  each  a  plot  of  ground  with  a  fruit  tree.  Imagine  a 
fellow  with  a  banana  shoot.  He  plants  it,  waters  it,  cares 
for  it.  It  is  not  long  till  it  is  up  ten  or  twelve  feet  and  the 
beautiful  purple  flower  appears ;  as  each  petal  drops  off,  out 
comes  a  little  green-fingered  banana.  Soon  after  a  large 
beautiful  bunch  of  bananas  is  formed. 

“About  that  time  the  owner  brings  his  bed  and  camps 
out  by  it,  for  his  friends  and  neighbors  are  evincing  so  much 
interest  in  that  bunch  of  bananas  that  if  he  wishes  any  for 
himself  he  must  stay  by  it.  This  he  does  in  spite  of  the  fact 
that  the  leper  is  the  greatest  traveler  in  India.  From  one 
shrine  to  another,  from  one  holy  man  to  another  he  goes 
in  an  unceasing  quest  for  healing.  But  it  does  not  much 
matter  what  a  priest  a  thousand  miles  away  says  about  lep¬ 
rosy.  This  chap  says,  ‘I  planted  that  banana  and  cared 
for  it,  and  before  I  leave  I  want  to  taste  the  fruit  thereof.’ 

“I  found  also  that  the  leper  liked  to  spend  money.  Under 
the  Mission  to  Lepers,  I  am  allowed  twenty-five  dollars  a 
year  for  each  leper.  All  their  wants  must  be  supplied 
out  of  this.  I  built  a  little  store,  where  they  could  buy  all 
the  necessities  and  luxuries ;  the  pulses  and  spices,  red  pep¬ 
pers  and  chilies,  that  are  to  be  found  in  any  North  India 
village  store.  A  great  many  of  the  men  cannot  do  their  own 
cooking — no  hands  left  to  knead  their  bread — and  for  such  1 
employ  other  lepers.  The  cook’s  pay  is  seven  cents  per  month 
for  cooking  for  another  leper.  Then  I  found  that  I  could 
give  each  man  eight  cents  a  week,  and  he  goes  to  the  little 
store  and  buys  whatever  his  fancy  craves — and  that  can 
be  bought  at  the  rate  of  a  cent  a  day !” 

In  the  Naini  Asylum  there  is  an  orchestra  of  native  in- 

8 


struments  for  the  church  service,  and  while  the  music  may 
be  weird  to  American  ears,  it  is  very  sweet  to  the  Indian. 
On  Communion  Sundays,  the  wine  is  passed  by  the  pastor, 
who  is  not  a  leper.  He  takes  it  from  the  cup  with  a  tea¬ 
spoon,  and  where  the  leper  has  sufficient  hand  left  to  hold 
the  wine,  it  is  poured  into  his  palm  and  he  drinks  it ;  but 
if  he  has  not  sufficient  hand  left,  he  opens  his  mouth  and  a 
teaspoon ful  of  wine  is  given. 

Every  Sunday  in  the  Naini  Leper  Church  a  collection  is 
taken  to  spread  Christ’s  Kingdom.  When  the  Church  was 
finished  they  said,  “We  have  been  praying  for  this  Church 
and  saving  for  it,  so  that  now  we  want  to  have  a  part  in  it.” 
They  bought  the  Bible,  and  a  clock,  because  they  did  not 
like  to  be  late  for  services.  The  Church  is  now  the  center 
of  the  life  of  the  Asylum,  with  quite  three  hundred  members. 

When  we  consider  that  these  gifts  come  out  of  those  eight 
cents  a  week,  we  see  what  real  sacrifice  is  involved  on  the 
part  of  these  poor  people.  Can  any  gift  be  more  precious 
in  the  sight  of  God  than  the  expression  of  love  from  these 
afflicted  people,  who  think  so  much  of  the  Gospel  of  Christ 
that  they  are  happy  to  contribute  from  their  little  for  its 
spread  ? 


AMBALA 

ASYLUM. 


The  Asylum  at  Ambala,  where  the  Mis¬ 
sion  to  Lepers  was  really  started,  is  man¬ 
aged  by  the  American  Presbyterian  Mis¬ 
sion.  There  is  a  chapel  called  the  Wellesley  Bailey  Chapel. 
The  steady  work  maintained  here  has  given  many  indications 
showing  that  the  cheerfulness  and  submission  and  patience 
of  the  lepers  is  really  wonderful.  In  Mr.  Jackson’s  book, 
“Lepers,”  we  read  of  the  manifestation  of  the  fruit  of  the 
Spirit  in  the  case  of  Illahi  Bakhsh,  an  old  man,  whose  sight 
had  been  destroyed  by  leprosy,  and  who  for  many  years  bore 
his  heavy  burden  with  marvelous  patience.  He  was  one  of 
the  first  to  embrace  Christianity,  and  he  became  a  leader 
and  teacher  in  this  Asylum.  His  faith  was  always  bright  and 
strong,  and  by  his  faith  and  his  realization  of  the  Saviour’s 
presence,  he  was  lifted  from  the  plane  of  suffering  and  sad¬ 
ness  to  an  experience  of  hope  and  peace  that  many  people 


9 


with  health  and  eyesight  might  envy.  When  a  visitor  once 
condoled  with  him  on  his  condition,  he  replied,  “Since  I 
trusted  Christ,  nineteen  years  ago,  I  have  known  neither 
pain  of  body  nor  of  mind.”  For  some  years,  Illahi  Bakhsh 
was  the  leader  of  the  singing  at  the  Asylum,  and  was  in  ad¬ 
dition  the  composer  of  many  of  the  most  beautiful  of  the 
hymns  used.  Nor  was  it  only  by  his  songs  that  this  good 
man  helped  his  fellow  sufferers.  Although  they  received  in¬ 
struction  regularly  from  an  appointed  teacher,  an  Annual 
Report  closes  with  these  words,  “Whatever  the  Ambala 
lepers  seem  to  know  and  understand  best,  they  say  they  have 
learned  from  Illahi  Bakhsh,  who  goes  over  and  over  with 
them  the  many  Bible  truths  he  has  stored  away  in  his 
memory.” 


BABA  LAKAN 
ASYLUM. 


The  Baba  Lakhan  Asylum  was  taken 
over  by  the  Mission  to  Lepers  in  1891, 
and  has  been  managed  ever  since  by  the 
missionaries  of  the  American  United  Presbyterian  Mission. 
It  began  under  the  supervision  of  the  district  authorities. 

When  Rev.  J.  W.  Ballantyne  was  leaving  the  Baba  Lak¬ 
han  Asylum,  he  gave  this  testimony :  “I  must  say  that  I 
have  enjoyed  the  work  among  the  lepers,  and  am  pleased 
to  note  the  decided  change  for  the  better  which  has  come 
over  them.  In  place  of  the  original  complaining,  quarrel¬ 
ing  spirit  manifested,  they  are  now  usually  friendly  and 
contented.” 


Dehra  is  really  a  local  charity,  but  under 
DEHRA  ASYLUM.  Government  supervision,  and  the  Chris¬ 
tian  teaching  is  provided  on  behalf  of 
the  Mission  to  Lepers  by  the  Reformed  Presbyterian  Mis¬ 
sion.  In  his  plea  for  help  for  the  Dehra  work,  Rev.  David 
Herron  reported  that  he  had  spiritual  charge  of  seventy 
inmates. 

It  was  in  this  Asylum  that  Padiya  was  converted  and  be¬ 
came  one  of  the  early  responsible  native  Christian  teachers 
in  the  Mission.  Although  under  Government  supervision, 
this  Asylum  received  gifts  from  the  Mission  to  Lepers  and 

10 


its  largest  blessing  was  in  the  personal  touch  of  the  Presby¬ 
terian  missionary,  Rev.  David  Herron. 


The  Asylum  at  Miraj  is  the  property  of 
Ml  RAJ  ASYLUM,  the  Mission  to  Lepers,  and  is  managed 

by  the  American  Presbyterian  Mission. 
There  is  a  small  church.  Dr.  W.  J.  Wanless,  the  Presby¬ 
terian  Medical  Missionary,  presented  the  lepers’  plea  in  1896, 
showing  how  nothing  had  been  done  for  them,  how  a  small 
Government  asylum  had  been  planned  and  the  foundation 
stone  laid,  but  the  building  never  undertaken,  while  the 
lepers  were  left  to  perish,  until  practical  Christianity  applied 
its  remedy  to  their  sad  case.  In  1900  upwards  of  100 
famine  workers  found  employment  in  quarrying  the  stone 
and  preparing  the  site  for  the  new  asylum.  The  asylum 
has  demonstrated  its  right  to  be  regarded  as  a  useful  ad¬ 
junct  to  the  splendid  hospital  under  Dr.  Wanless’  care, 
which  has  done  so  much  to  commend  Christian  faith  in  the 
Miraj  district.  The  regular  diet,  medicines,  and  good 
housing  and  cleanliness,  all  combine  to  check  the  disease. 
Many  take  a  deep  interest  in  Bible  study,  and  some  take  the 
Sunday  School  Scripture  examinations  with  good  results. 
They  take  pride  in  their  gardens  and  their  trees  about  the 
place,  keeping  them  well  watered  and  tended.  They  are 
very  grateful  for  anything  done  for  them,  and  thank  the 
good  people  at  home  whose  contributions  make  their  Asy¬ 
lum  possible.  Dr.  Wanless  and  Mr.  Richardson  write  that 
some  of  the  inmates  have  come  to  realize  that  it  is  the  love 
of  the  true  and  living  God  which  prompts  the  people  to  pro¬ 
vide  such  homes  for  the  outcast.  Many  have  realized  more 
than  this,  and  have  come  to  know  Jesus  Christ,  the  friend 
of  lepers,  as  their  Saviour  from  sin. 


SAHARAN  PUR  Two  asylums  at  Saharanpur  give  needed 
ASYLUM  segregation  of  the  sexes.  The  manage¬ 

ment  is  by  the  American  Presbyterian 
Mission  on  behalf  of  the  Mission  to  Lepers.  The  place 
lacked  the  touch  of  Christian  kindness  until  it  was  brought 
under  the  care  of  the  Mission  through  the  efforts  of  the 


11 


Rev.  David  Herron.  In  1892  two  native  Christian  teachers 
for  the  men’s  and  two  for  the  women’s  asylum  were  ap¬ 
pointed,  and  in  1893  further  help  was  given  in  the  form  of 
a  special  grant  for  enlargements  and  improvements  in  both 
the  asylums.  The  funds  for  these  enlargements  were  pro¬ 
vided  by  the  Pittsburgh  and  Allegheny  Auxiliary  of  the 
Mission  to  Lepers.  The  Asylum  is  located  north  of  the 
city,  and  is  surrounded  by  thick  mango  groves.  Both  the 
men  and  the  women  here,  as  in  the  other  asylums,  are 
deeply  interested  in  the  celebration  of  the  sacrament  of  the 
Lord’s  Supper,  and  they  are  extremely  thorough  in  their 
preparation  for  an  examination  before  the  Session  of  the 
Church. 


SABATHU 

ASYLUM. 


The  Sabathu  (Punjab)  Asylum,  already 
mentioned  in  this  paper,  is  located  on  a 
site  provided  by  the  Punjab  Government 
in  co-operation  with  the  Mission  to  Lepers.  It  is  managed 
by  the  American  Presbyterian  Mission.  There  is  a  small 
home  for  European  lepers,  and  a  home  for  untainted  chil¬ 
dren.  This  work  has  somewhat  recently  been  taken  in 
charge  by  the  New  Zealand  Presbyterian  church. 


RAWAL  PINDI 
ASYLUM. 


Rawal  Pindi  Asylum  was  originally 
owned  and  operated  by  the  Government. 
It  has  been  turned  over  to  the  care  of 
the  Mission  to  Lepers  by  the  Punjab  Government,  and  is 
now  managed  on  behalf  of  The  Mission  by  the  American 
United  Presbyterian  missionaries.  The  buildings  are  fine. 
When  Rev.  David  Herron  first  began  his  visits  to  the  lepers 
in  this  station,  he  found  them  in  a  dreadfully  neglected 
and  unsanitary  condition.  Through  his  urgent  appeal,  a  na¬ 
tive  doctor  was  provided,  a  new  dispensary  erected,  and  a 
complete  change  effected.  Separate  wards  were  erected  for 
men  and  women,  and  the  co-operation  of  the  Punjab  Gov¬ 
ernment  and  the  unflagging  energy  of  the  superintendent  of 
the  Asylum,  Mr.  Nichol  of  the  American  United  Presby¬ 
terian  Mission,  made  a  remarkable  transformation. 


12 


SIAM. 


CH I  ENG  MAI 
ASYLUM. 


In  all  centuries  the  leper  in  Siam  has 
been  an  outcast,  hated,  feared,  and  be¬ 
yond  the  sound  of  the  Gospel.  Tragic, 
indeed  are  these  figures,  dragging  their  weary  bodies  from 
place  to  place,  begging  for  food  and  clothing.  Owing  to 
deformities  of  various  kinds,  they  are  unable  to  earn  a  com¬ 
plete  livelihood  even  were  they  not  outcasts. 

According  to  the  Buddhist  belief,  they  are  suffering  for 


BETHESDA  COTTAGE  FOR  LEPER  WOMEN— CHIENG  MAI,  SIAM 


sins  in  a  previous  existence  and  have  no  hope  or  “merit” 
for  the  future.  Dr.  McKean  says  :  “On  more  than  one  occa¬ 
sion  have  I  found  these  poor  outcasts  lying  dead  in  the  pub¬ 
lic  rest  houses  where  they  had  gone  for  the  night.  Their 
needs  touched  me  greatly.  No  helping  hand  was  stretched 
out  to  them  until  some  six  years  ago  when  a  way  was  opened 
providentially  for  bringing  relief  to  this  unfortunate  class. 

“Half  an  island  in  the  river,  five  miles  south  of  Chieng 
Mai,  was  the  overgrown  jungle  used  as  a  playground  for 


13 


the  Governor’s  pet  elephant.  His  father,  the  late  Laos  king, 
had  presented  him  with  this  ‘Good  Luck’  elephant  when  he 
came  of  age.  In  spite  of  the  fact  that  he  was  a  pet,  he  was 
a  wilful,  vicious  creature.  If  hungry  for  rice,  he  would  tear 
down  a  granary  and  help  himself.  He  even  demolished  na¬ 
tive  houses  to  get  baskets  of  rice  he  knew  were  there.  Un¬ 
able  to  endure  his  raids,  the  people  fled,  leaving  the  elephant 
‘monarch  of  all  he  surveyed.’  ” 

Of  course,  no  one  could  kill  a  “Good  Luck”  elephant. 
But  when  the  elephant  died,  Dr.  J.  W.  McKean  hastened  to 
ask  the  late  Governor  to  devote  this  island  to  a  higher  use ; 
and  as  a  result,  half  the  island,  160  acres  of  land,  were  do¬ 
nated,  on  which  to  establish  the  first  Leper  Asylum  in  the 
kingdom ;  and  the  gift  was  confirmed  by  royal  authority  in 
Bangkok. 

Even  the  Siamese  began  to  be  interested.  One  Trading 
Company  made  a  generous  donation  of  teak  logs ;  another 
merchant  furnished  the  use  of  his  elephants  for  hauling;  a 
friend  contributed  office  and  photographic  help ;  a  girls’ 
school  in  Chieng  Mai  made  fifty  garments  for  the  use  of  the 
first  patients.  Through  the  aid  given  by  The  Mission  to 
Lepers  and  good  personal  friends  in  the  U.  S.  A.,  Dr.  Mc¬ 
Kean  joyfully  wrote:  “On  June  11,  1913,  we  were  rejoiced 
to  formally  open  the  Chieng  Mai  Leper  Asylum,  with  one 
hundred  patients.” 

Over  one  thousand  guests  were  present  at  the  dedication, 
including  many  Siamese  officials,  native  princes,  commis¬ 
sioners,  governors,  generals  and  foreign  ministers.  Touched 
by  what  they  saw,  these  gentlemen  each  made  a  contribution, 
and  the  military  band  present  gave  their  day’s  compensation 
to  the  Asylum. 

The  buildings  comprise  seven  brick  cottages,  each  costing 
nearly  two  thousand  dollars  and  built  to  accommodate  twen¬ 
ty  persons,  with  fireplace  and  sleeping  and  cooking  accom¬ 
modations,  and  all  sanitary,  so  that  by  hose  and  concrete 
drain  the  house  can  be  thoroughly  cleansed.  In  addition, 
there  is  a  Superintendent’s  house,  a  brick  water  tower,  with 
pumping  engine,  and  a  temporary  thatched  chapel. 

14 


Of  the  one  hundred  patients  in  the  Asylum  on  opening 
day,  sixty-five  were  men.  The  ages  vary  from  20  to  40 
years.  There  are  five  untainted  children  of  leper  parents. 
The  dread  of  the  disease  renders  it  difficult  to  place  the  chil¬ 
dren  in  the  homes  of  the  people,  and  a  home  for  untainted 
children  has  been  established  on  the  island,  where  they  are 
kept  free  from  contagion,  and  are  yet  near  enough  to  their 
parents  for  occasional  visits. 

The  keeper,  Loong  Peang,  and  wife,  Pa  Kam,  who  are 
not  lepers,  have  two  leper  children  in  the  Asylum.  (Loong 
means  uncle  and  Pa  means  aunt.) 

Receiving  about  forty  cents  each  per  week  to  buy  rice, 
fish  and  other  food,  they  make  a  weekly  gift  to  the  Lord. 
Their  first  gift  was  six  dollars  for  evangelistic  work  in  the 
plains,  and  as  a  result  ten  families,  totaling  forty  persons,  be¬ 
came  Christians,  to  the  joy  of  the  lepers.  The  second  gift 
was  four  dollars  to  purchase  three  thousand  Scripture  por¬ 
tions,  to  be  distributed  in  country  districts ;  the  third  gift 
of  nine  dollars,  “to  help  suffering  fellow-lepers  in  other 
lands.” 

One  little  girl  offered  a  very  significant  prayer :  “Oh, 
God,  do  bless  Dr.  McKean  and  help  him  to  find  a  good 
medicine  that  will  cure  all  of  the  lepers.” 

It  is  known  to  all  that  material  benefits  have  come  to 
Siam  with  the  advent  of  the  missionary,  and  they  have  very 
greatly  commended  Christianity  to  the  nation.  And  we  have 
a  right  to  hope  that  once  the  practical  benefits  of  an  Asylum 
are  seen  by  the  Siamese,  the  Government  will  take  up  segre¬ 
gation  of  the  leper  on  its  own  account,  and  Siam  may  be  the 
first  of  Oriental  nations  to  rid  herself  of  the  scourge. 

It  has  been  said  that  leprosy  begets  selfishness  and  discon¬ 
tent.  It,  therefore,  is  gratifying  to  note  a  spirit  of  helpful¬ 
ness  among  these  lepers.  A  woman — a  former  slave — has 
often  been  found  ministering  to  the  more  needy  women 
and  praying  for  them  in  their  extremity.  The  head  teacher, 
himself  a  leper,  takes  a  special  interest  in  visiting  and  car¬ 
ing  for  the  helpless  men.  The  more  one  knows  these  poor 
sufferers  the  more  he  appreciates  that  behind  their  repul- 

15 


sive  appearance  there  lie  the  good  qualities  of  heart  that 
attract  and  win  one’s  interest  and  sympathy.  Their  ages 
range  from  five  to  seventy  years.  The  great  majority  are 
between  twenty  and  forty. 

In  December  of  last  year  in  the  Asylum  there  came  at 
one  time  a  family  of  eight  lepers.  Had  the  first  victim 
been  placed  apart,  there  is  every  reason  to  believe  that  none 
of  the  others  would  have  become  afflicted. 

In  the  Asylum  family  there  are  lepers  from  Yunnan  and 
from  the  British  Shan  States.  It  is  now  possible  to  supply 
them  with  medicines  and  an  abundance  of  good  food  and 
clothing,  so  that  in  spite  of  their  terrible  sufferings  and 
their  hopeless  prospects  for  the  future,  they  are  measurably 
happy.  The  death  rate  is  approximately  ten  per  cent  each 
year.  All  bodies  of  patients  dying  with  leprosy  are  cre¬ 
mated. 

Nine  lepers  came  over  the  mountains  not  long  ago,  travel¬ 
ing  through  uninhabited  jungles  for  thirteen  days,  destitute 
of  money  and  almost  destitute  of  food.  They  were  a  sad 
and  weary  company  when  they  came  to  the  Asylum  gate  in 
the  evening,  so  glad  to  find  a  place  of  refuge.  Within  an¬ 
other  month,  eight  more  came  from  the  same  province,  hav¬ 
ing  traveled  12  days.  A  grandmother  brought  three  leper 
grandchildren  a  journey  of  ten  nights.  The  fiftieth  leper 
came  to  the  Asylum  from  a  village  thirteen  days  distant. 
It  took  him  a  month  of  travel.  There  is  one  family  of  five 
in  the  Asylum.  Two  of  this  family  died  as  lepers  before 
the  coming  of  the  rest  to  Chieng  Mai.  There  have  been  in 
this  Asylum  other  families  consisting  of  four  persons  each, 
and  several  cases  where  two  members  of  the  same  family 
are  lepers. 

When  the  work  began  at  Chieng  Mai,  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Mc¬ 
Kean  committed  to  God  the  future  of  the  Asylum  and 
asked  all  contributors  to  its  support  and  all  Christian  friends 
everywhere  to  pray  that  every  leper  who  should  ever  come 
to  this  Asylum  might  become  a  true  child  of  God.  These 
prayers  have  been  answered  in  a  most  wonderful  manner, 
for  of  the  274  lepers  who  have  found  refuge  there  all  have 

16 


become  Christians  except  one,  who  came  in  a  dying  con¬ 
dition. 

On  the  22nd  of  June,  1913,  a  committee  of  Presbytery 
organized  the  Christian  lepers  into  a  church.  This  church 
holds  services  not  only  on  the  Sabbath,  but  practically  every 
day  of  the  year,  except  when  hindered  by  storms  or  over¬ 
powering  heat.  Out  of  their  scant  weekly  allowance,  they 
make  willing  offerings  toward  the  work,  their  special  de¬ 
light  knowing  no  bounds  in  what  they  are  trying  to  do  for 
evangelistic  work  and  for  Scripture  distribution.  It  was 
while  they  were  in  the  Asylum,  all  living  in  bamboo  huts  and 
waiting  for  the  permanent  buildings,  that  they  first  asked 
to  have  a  chapel.  This  was  built  of  bamboo,  better  and  finer 
than  their  huts,  but  was  by  no  means  a  comfortable  place. 
From  that  day  until  the  close  of  1914,  the  bamboo  chapel 
was  the  center  of  life — religious  and  social —  in  the  com¬ 
munity.  Religion  is  the  most  talked-of  subject  in  the  Asy¬ 
lum,  and  the  daily  hour  for  study  and  worship  is  the 
pleasantest  of  the  whole  day.  It  is  no  wonder,  therefore, 
that  in  praying  for  the  chapel  the  lepers  were  acting  on  the 
prompting  of  their  fervent  hearts’  desire.  At  one  time,  the 
Chieng  Mai  lepers,  hearing  of  their  needy  brothers  in  Per¬ 
sia,  made  a  generous  contribution  and  were  delighted  to  re¬ 
ceive  an  acknowledgment  of  their  gifts. 

In  1914  there  was  a  voluntary  contribution  by  the  Chieng 
Mai  lepers  to  the  American  Bible  Society.  This  gift 
was  forwarded  to  the  Bible  Society  with  a  letter  in  the 
following  language:  “We,  the  elders  and  members  of  the 
Leper  Church  at  Chieng  Mai,  with  one  heart  and  mind,  have 
great  gladness  in  sending  our  small  offering  to  the  Ameri¬ 
can  Bible  Society,  and  we  beg  that  our  gift  of  twenty-five 
rupees  ($8.09)  may  be  graciously  received  by  you  and  used 
for  the  distribution  of  the  holy  Scriptures.  To  have  a  share 
in  this  good  work  will  give  us  very  great  happiness. 

“(Signed)  Elders — Peang,  Toon,  Gnok.” 

Dr.  Robert  E.  Speer  says : 

“The  morning  that  we  were  at  the  Chieng  Mai,  Siam, 
Leper  Asylum,  twenty  lepers  were  baptized  and  wel- 

17 


corned  to  the  Lord’s  table.  I  think  the  highest  honor  I  have 
ever  had  in  my  life  was  to  be  allowed  to  hold  the  baptismal 
bowl  out  of  which  these  lepers  were  baptized.  I  am  taking 
it  home  as  a  priceless  memorial.  Of  their  own  accord,  the 
lepers  brought  to  this  communion  service  a  gift  of  36  rupees, 
given  out  of  their  poverty  and  meager  earnings  to  help  lepers 
in  other  lands  who  might  be  more  unfortunate  than  they. 

“We  came  away  from  Chieng  Mai  with  grateful  and  re¬ 
joicing  hearts.  A  mighty  work  of  God  has  been  done  here 
by  men  of  God  and  the  noble  succession  of  the  past  has  not 
failed.  We  can  only  transmit  to  the  church  at  home  the 
closing  words  of  a  letter  which  the  three  ordained  Lao 
ministers  gave  us  as  we  came  away:  ‘The  fields  are  very 
broad  and  the  grain  is  yellow.  We  beg  that  the  Christians 
of  America  may  work  together  with  us  in  order  that  the 
grain  may  be  garnered  quickly.  Please  do  not  forget  us. 
We  beg  that  the  members  of  the  great  Foreign  Board  will 
carry  this  message  to  you  Christians  in  America.  May  the 
love  of  Jehovah  dwell  in  your  hearts  unceasingly.’  ” 

(From  the  Continent.) 

A  recent  letter  from  Dr.  McKean  tells  how  a  Buddhist 
friend  voluntarily  contributes  fifty  baskets  of  rice  for  the 
lepers  every  year ;  and  the  Governor  of  Siam  is  very  friendly 
to  the  work  and  has  fallen  in  with  the  idea  of  asking  native 
friends  throughout  the  country  to  contribute  rice  for  their 
support.  The  Governor  will  not  only  acquiesce  in  this  plan, 
but  will  do  everything  he  can  to  encourage  generosity  toward 
the  lepers. 


CHOSEN  (KOREA) 

k  w  a  no  1 1 1  The  Kwangju,  Chosen,  Leper  Home, 

ASYLUM  over  which  Dr-  R-  M-  Wilson  of  the 

Southern  Presbyterian  Mission  presides, 
was  the  unexpected  outgrowth  of  a  rather  novel  experience. 

Dr.  W.  H.  Forsythe,  a  Presbyterian  missionary,  was  rid¬ 
ing  one  day  toward  Kwangju,  when  he  heard  a  strange  noise 
by  the  roadside.  Dismounting,  he  found  in  the  bushes  a 
poor  leper  woman  almost  dead.  Knowing  she  would  die 


18 


if  he  left  her,  he  put  her  on  his  own  horse  and  took  her  to 
Kwangju.  Then  this  modern  Good  Samaritan  realized  that 
no  inn  would  receive  her,  neither  could  any  home.  With 
other  missionaries,  he  arranged  an  unused  tile  kiln  suitably, 
and  fed  and  taught  this  poor  creature.  She  welcomed  the 
comfort  of  the  Gospel  and  accepted  the  Saviour. 

In  the  meantime,  the  missionaries  among  themselves  gave 
funds  to  build  a  small  three-room  house,  and  here  five  or 
six  other  patients  who  had  heard  of  the  Christian  treatment 
of  a  leper,  were  cared  for.  It  was  now  imperative  that 
larger  provision  be  made,  and  through  The  Mission  to 
Lepers  and  the  prayers  of  friends,  this  Macedonian  call  was 
answered,  and  the  present  Asylum  was  created. 

Dr.  Wilson,  the  missionary  in  charge,  says :  “Donors 
can  never  regret  their  gifts,  if  they  stop  to  think  what  a 
Home  like  ours  means  to  the  lepers.  A  welcome  (the  first 
shock),  a  warm  bath  (the  second  shock),  clean  clothes,  a 
nice  Korean  room,  plenty  of  bedding,  food  for  each  meal, 
the  best  medical  treatment  for  their  disease,  work  to  do  if 
able,  books  to  read,  teaching,  the  Gospel  Story  lovingly  told, 
and  finally,  a  Christian  burial. 

“November  15,  1912,  was  a  happy  day  when  we  dedicated 
the  Kwangju  Leper  Home  to  the  Lord.  On  opening  day, 
twenty-one  half-clad,  shivering  lepers  gathered  at  our  dis¬ 
pensary,  and  when  welcomed  to  this  new  home,  their  worn, 
haggard  faces  actually  changed  to  happy-looking  coun¬ 
tenances.  At  3  P.  M.  all  the  missionaries  and  many  native 
Christians  gathered,  and  with  songs  of  praise,  prayers  of 
thanksgiving,  Scripture  readings,  and  addresses,  the  Kwang¬ 
ju  Leper  Home  was  opened  in  the  name  of  Him  who  said 
‘Cleanse  the  lepers.’ 

“The  main  building  has  a  dispensary  and  church  in  the 
center,  and  two  wings,  one  for  men  and  one  for  women. 
There  is  also  a  superintendent’s  house,  a  well,  a  wash  house, 
and  the  ‘Soul  Rooms,’  which  is  the  name  the  lepers  them¬ 
selves  give  to  the  small  houses  for  those  about  to  die.  The 


19 


location  is  the  southern  side  of  a  beautiful  hill  about  a  mile 
from  town,  where  we  are  planting  trees,  grapevines,  berries 
and  flowers.” 

The  native  superintendent,  Mr.  Chloe,  is  well  fitted  for 
the  work.  He  was  assistant  in  the  regular  hospital  for  four 
years,  and  is  an  elder  in  the  Presbyterian  Church.  He  can 
care  for  other  diseases  the  lepers  may  develop,  while  he 
carries  on  his  research  work  in  the  leper  field.  He  also 
seeks  to  make  the  farm  self-supporting. 

One  year  after  dedication,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wellesley  C. 
Bailey  visited  the  Kwangju  Asylum.  The  lepers  had  been 
given  a  calf  which  they  raised  as  a  pet.  They  decided  to 
kill  this  “fatted  calf”  in  honor  of  the  expected  guests ;  and 
so  they  did,  the  day  before  their  arrival.  As  the  Baileys 
did  not  even  see  it,  it  is  difficult  to  see  what  part  they  had 
in  the  calf ! 

They  have  a  daily  program  of  medicine,  prayers,  meals, 
study,  work,  singing,  gardening  and  poultry  raising.  It  was 
difficult  for  the  women  to  sew  with  their  stubs  of  fingers. 
For  this  reason  a  sewing  machine  sent  by  friends  in  Virginia, 
brought  great  rejoicing. 

When  all  have  behaved  and  attended  to  things  well 
through  the  week  they  are  given  some  meat  for  their  Sab¬ 
bath  meal ;  and  a  Korean  will  do  almost  anything  for  meat. 
Ten  men  have  done  so  well  with  the  farm  work  that  it  has 
been  necessary  to  employ  but  one  farmer. 

Words  of  strongest  commendation  come  from  business 
men  who  have  studied  Korean  conditions,  saying  that  “the 
best  investment  is  money  spent  in  the  Leper  Home.”  In 
addition,  these  outcasts  have  their  first  opportunity  to  hear 
the  Gospel. 

Dr.  Wilson  says :  “A  very  touching  thing  during  the 
services  on  Sunday  is  to  see  how  they  help  each  other  when 
the  number  of  the  song  or  reference  to  Scripture  is  read ; 
many  without  fingers  have  the  pages  turned  and  place  found 

20 


by  those  who  have  fingers.  Every  one  wants  the  place 
found  in  his  own  book. 

“Last  year  when  the  Sunday  School  was  organized,  one 
of  the  lepers,  who  is  a  most  earnest  Christian,  was  elected 
superintendent,  and  he  is  very  busy  indeed,  for  it  seems  that 
this  has  made  him  general  manager  of  everything  about  the 
place.  He  is  so  gentle  and  kind  to  them  all  that  he  is  gen¬ 
erally  known  as  the  ‘Grace  Man,’  for  he  rarely  ever  utters 
a  sentence  without  saying  ‘Through  the  grace  and  love  of 
our  Father.’  ” 


LEPER  ASPLUM  AT  FUSAN,  KOREA 

The  Fusan  Feper  Asylum  is  the  property 
FUSAN  ASYLUM.  Qf  The  Mission  to  Lepers.  For  many 

years  the  good  work  was  under  the  skil¬ 
ful  care  of  Dr.  C.  H.  Irvin,  of  the  American  Presbyterian 
Church.  Owing  to  a  division  of  territory  between  the 
denominations,  this  work  has  now  passed  into  the  hands 
of  representatives  of  the  Australian  Presbyterian  Church. 

21 


When  future  chapters  of  work  for  lepers 
Taiku  ASYLUM,  in  Korea  shall  be  written,  there  will 

be  a  very  attractive  paragraph  included, 
covering  the  work  at  Taiku  where  Dr.  Fletcher  of  the 
American  Presbyterian  Mission  is  leading  in  the  plans  for 
providing  an  Asylum.  The  fund  required  to  erect  the  first 
buildings  came  in  one  sum  in  answer  to  prayer  and  from  an 
unknown  donor. 


JAPAN 

OSAKA  AND  The  Osaka  Asylum  receives  regular  vis- 

OSH IMA  its  on  behalf  of  The  Mission  to  Lepers 

ASYLUMS.  from  the  American  Presbyterian  mis¬ 

sionaries,  and  most  remarkable  services  were  held  last 
Christmas  time.  There  were  nine  baptisms,  so  that  the 
number  of  Christians  now  in  this  Asylum  has  reached  forty- 
eight,  and  this  is  the  result  of  work  extending  over  a  little 
more  than  a  year.  Visits  are  also  made  by  Southern  Pres¬ 
byterian  missionaries  to  the  Government  Asylum  at  Oshima. 


CHINA 

The  Canton  Leper  Settlement  and  Chil- 
C ANTON.  dren’s  Home  carried  on  by  the  American 

Presbyterian  Mission,  and  aided  by  The 
Mission  to  Lepers  for  so  many  years  has  now  been  trans¬ 
ferred  to  the  Rhenish  Missionary  Society. 

PERSIA 

The  work  for  Tabriz  lepers  is  hung  up, 
TABRIZ  LEPERS,  owing  to  the  war.  Christian  teaching 

and  small  allotments  of  food  and  other 
gifts  have  been  provided  through  Dr.  and  Mrs.  W.  S.  Van- 
neman  and  other  representatives  of  the  American  Presby¬ 
terian  Mission,  but  the  war  conditions  have  made  it  impos¬ 
sible  to  go  ahead  with  projected  buildings,  even  if  the  funds 

22 


had  all  been  in  hand.  A  missionary  writes:  “I  shall  take 
great  pleasure  in  telling  the  lepers  of  their  unknown  friends. 
They  understand  it  is  for  the  love  of  Christ  they  receive 
from  us  the  help,  and  I  am  sure  that  others  will  be  touched 
to  know  that  fellow-lepers  have  found  Jesus  Christ  so  pre¬ 
cious.” 


THE  PHILIPPINE  ISLANDS 


MANILA 

ASYLUM. 


The  Asylum  at  Manila  is  a  Government 
Asylum,  in  which  Christian  teaching  is 
also  given  by  the  American  Presbyterian 
Mission  on  behalf  of  The  Mission  to  Lepers.  This,  in  later 
years,  has  become  rather  a  receiving  station  for  the  large 
colony  located  at  Culion.  The  appeal  for  Christian  teaching 
for  the  lepers  in  the  rich  and  fertile  Philippine  Islands  first 
came  in  1907.  At  first,  an  evangelist  was  supported,  later, 
regular  visits  were  made  by  the  missionaries  of  the  Ameri¬ 
can  Presbyterian  Station,  the  lepers  always  expressing  heart¬ 
iest  thanks  and  gratitude ;  but  in  this  Station  the  problem 
has  always  been  extremely  delicate  for  the  reason  that  so 
many  are  nominal  Romanists,  and  the  missionaries  have 
carefully  tried  to  preach  a  religion  of  Bible  faith  and  con¬ 
sistent  work. 


CULION  LEPER  The  Culion  Station  is  the  largest  leper 
COLONY  :olony  in  the  world.  It  is  a  beautiful  island 

in  the  Philippine  group  and  was  selected 
by  the  United  States  Government  as  the  place  in  which  all 
the  known  lepers  of  the  Philippines  are  now  segregated  and 
supported.  In  this  Station  all  the  food  and  clothing,  and 
comfortable  shelter,  are  provided  by  the  Government.  A 
Presbyterian  missionary,  Dr.  G.  W.  Wright,  living  in  Ma¬ 
nila,  though  not  able  to  visit  this  Station  regularly,  is  none  the 
less  actively  supervising  the  work  and  keeping  in  touch 
with  the  leper  congregation  through  visits  and  correspond¬ 
ence.  There  is  only  one  boat  going  from  Manila  to  Culion. 
The  Mission’s  Bible  Woman,  Sra.  Juana  Coronel,  followed 

23 


the  visit  of  two  theological  students  who  used  their  Christ¬ 
mas  vacation  to  make  an  evangelistic  tour  to  the  colony. 
The  Bible  woman,  as  the  missionaries  say  in  Manila,  is 
anywhere  and  everywhere  a  host  in  herself.  She  knows 
what  to  do  and  how  to  do  it.  Pastor  Garchalian,  who  was 
trained  in  the  Theological  Seminary,  is  not  only  an  excellent 
pastor,  but  a  man  of  warm  heart  and  sympathy.  He,  too, 
has  visited  the  lepers,  spending  some  time  among  them,  per¬ 
forming  the  functions  of  a  pastor  and  doing  much  good  by 
his  visit.  Dr.  Wright  made  a  very  remarkable  visit  at  the 
end  of  the  year,  preaching  in  a  “Watch  Night”  service,  a 
Christmas  sermon,  and  another  on  New  Year’s  morning, 
and  conducted  Communion  and  received  new  members  in 
the  afternoon.  The  regular  Christmas  exercises  were  held 
by  the  congregation  at  the  usual  time,  distributing  the  sup¬ 
plies  that  had  been  sent  on  in  advance. 

The  work  in  the  colony  is  all  done  by  the  lepers  with  the 
exception  of  the  construction  of  the  buildings.  There  is 
even  a  leper  police  force.  These  police,  the  butcher,  the 
baker,  as  well  as  the  teachers,  receive  special  compensation. 
The  colonists  have  their  own  shops  with  which  the  Govern¬ 
ment  does  not  interfere. 

In  1911,  Dr.  J.  B.  Rogers  of  the  Presbyterian  Mission, 
encouraged  by  the  fact  that  a  number  of  the  men  and  wom¬ 
en  were  received  into  communion  and  due  to  the  presence 
of  a  native  minister,  who  had  contracted  leprosy,  advised 
the  organization  of  a  church.  The  number  of  lepers  pro¬ 
fessing  the  Protestant  faith  is,  of  course,  very  small,  as  the 
Catholics  are  notably  numerous. 

It  would  not  be  fair  to  conclude  this 
U.  S.  A.  LEPERS,  article  without  giving  credit  to  Presby¬ 
terian  Christian  workers  interested  in  the 
lepers  in  our  own  country.  Rev.  J.  W.  Caldwell  of  New 
Orleans  presided  at  the  dedication  of  the  Protestant  chapel 
erected  in  the  Louisiana  Leper  Colony,  the  14th  of  last 
June.  Under  his  chairmanship  a  wonderful  service  was  held 
during  which  the  congregation  voted  to  make  their  motto, 

24 


“Brighten  up  the  corner  where  you  are.”  This  was  done  on 
a  show  of  hands,  many  of  which  indicated  the  serious  dis¬ 
comfort  caused  by  leprosy  in  their  own  bodies ;  but  shall  we 
not  take  courage  from  their  cheerful  attitude  toward  life 
under  the  most  adverse  circumstances  and  join  with  them 
in  a  living  demonstration  of  effort  to  “Brighten  the  corner 
where  you  are.” 

We  have  seen  how  the  Presbyterian  missionaries  in  co¬ 
operation  with  The  Mission  to  Lepers  are  working  in  “Leper 
Lands”  in  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel  to  the  whole  congre¬ 
gation.  This  is  an  illustration  of  Evangelical  Alliance  in 
which  the  Presbyterian  missionaries  lead  all  other  denomin¬ 
ations. 

Dr.  Arthur  J.  Brown,  Secretary,  Board  of  Foreign  Mis¬ 
sions  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  the  U.  S.  A.,  says: 
“Two  visits  to  Asia  have  deeply  impressed  me  with  the  for¬ 
lorn  and  pathetic  condition  of  that  afflicted  class.  Your 
Mission  is  doing  a  work  among  them  which  must  be  very 
close  to  the  heart  of  the  Great  Physician,  and  it  ought  to  ap¬ 
peal  to  all  who  love  Christ  and  are  interested  in  those  to 
whom  He  ministered  when  on  earth.” 

Dr.  A.  W.  Halsey,  Secretary,  Board  of  Foreign  Missions 
of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  the  U.  S.  A.,  says:  “I  wish 
to  assure  you  of  the  cordial  co-operation  of  our  Board  in 
this  important  work.  For  many  years  The  Mission  to 
Lepers  has  aided  various  leper  institutions  in  connection 
with  our  Missions.  Our  Board  has  only  the  highest  ap¬ 
preciation  of  the  work  which  The  Mission  to  Lepers  is  do¬ 
ing.” 

Dr.  C.  R.  Watson,  Secretary  of  the  Board  of  Foreign 
Missions  of  the  United  Presbyterian  Church  of  North 
America,  says :  “The  Mission  to  Lepers  is  doing  an  admir¬ 
able  work.  Our  missionaries  are  in  touch  with  this  work 
in  India,  and  I  have  always  heard  the  heartiest  commenda¬ 
tion  of  the  work  done  by  this  Mission.” 

The  Continent  in  editorial  mention  has  said :  “There  are 
not  many  Foreign  Mission  objects  outside  denominational 
lines,  to  which  responsible  missionary  leaders  of  the  Presby- 

25 


terian  Church  are  entirely  willing  to  see  Presbyterians  con¬ 
tribute  ;  but  one  big  and  notable  exception  is  The  Mission 
to  Lepers,  which  the  Foreign  Board  endorses  with  utmost 
cordiality.  This  good  will  springs  from  the  fact  that  The 
Leper  Mission  works  in  closest  harmony  with  denomina¬ 
tional  Mission  Societies  and  practically  all  its  money  is 
spent  under  supervision  of  denominational  missionaries. 

1915. 


Note. — The  denominational  Boards  do  not  receive  or  disburse  funds 
for  leper  work,  though  in  hearty  sympathy  with  the  interdenomina¬ 
tional  society,  “The  Mission  to  Lepers,’’  of  which  W.  M.  Danner.  105 
Raymond  St.,  Cambridge,  Mass.,  is  Secretary.  The  missionaries  of  all 
Boards  give  a  portion  of  their  time  to  work  in  the  leper  stations. 


26 


THE  WOMAN’S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY 
OF  THE  PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH 

501  Witherspoon  Building,  Philadelphia 


Price,  Five  Cents 


